Trivia

Married to Oscar Academy Award winning dress designer Travilla for 45 years, until her death.

She gave a spellbinding snake-like dancing performance during "The Lady Dances" number in Strike Me Pink (1936) with Eddie Cantor. The dance reached its climax with her being thrown extremely high into the air by Cantor and is then caught by him on the palm of one hand in another position some distance away.

Per Laura Wagner's article in "Films of the Golden Age" (Spring 2015), she once was associated with notorious gangster Louis "Pretty" Amberg and was questioned by police when he was murdered gangland-style.

In early 1940 she toured--as Rita Rio--with her "All Girl Orchestra" with Marie Wilson and Toby Wing (who was essentially retired) and Faith Bacon (from the Earl Carroll Vanities) across the US. They made numerous appearances for the Infantile Paralysis Fund and Tuberculosis Campaign during the tour.

Both parents were African-American.

Early in her career she worked under the names Una Velon and Rita Shaw.

Body Cremated and Ashes Scattered at Sea, Pt. Fermin.

Her daughter Nia Travilla becoming noted local veterinarian.